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The former defensive coordinator for Penn State is accused of 40 counts of criminal sexual abuse with children over the course of 15 years. The fallout has rocked sleepy State College, Pa., implicating a number of high-level administrators within the university.

Jerry Sandusky

The celebrated former Penn State football defensive coordinator was arrested November 5, 2011, facing charges that he sexually abused eight young boys. (Some reports are saying the number of accusers could reach 17.) Sandusky, 67, founded The Second Mile organization in 1977 while working at Penn State. The mission of the non-profit charity was to help troubled young boys, through which prosecutors allege he met the eight boys. The alleged abuses occurred from 1994 to 2009, according to a grand jury investigation. His charges tally 40 in total, the most serious being seven counts of first-degree involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.

As part of The Second Mile, young boys would often sleep over at Sandusky’s home and attend Penn State football games with him. It was during these events that Sandusky would allegedly instigate sexual encounters with the boys, either in his basement or in the Penn State football facilities. Sandusky was banned from bringing children to the football building after then-graduate assistant Mike McQueary reported seeing Sandusky sexually abusing a 10-year-old in the locker room late one night.

Sandusky was the one-time heir apparent to legendary Penn State football head coach Joe Paterno, but was passed over for the position in 1999, leading to his retirement from the university after a 32-year career with the Nittany Lions football team. As part of his retirement package, Sandusky still maintained an office within the football department and was listed as a professor emeritus of physical education. Sources report he was on campus as recently as early November working out, but Penn State has since banned him from campus.

After retirement, Sandusky proceeded to focus his efforts on The Second Mile as its primary fundraiser. Sandusky says he retired from The Second Mile in September 2010, though the organization claims it severed ties with him in 2008.